Nine officers at Charing Cross police station in central London have been suspended following allegations of racist, homophobic, and misogynist behaviour, the Metropolitan Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed.
The suspensions follow an undercover BBC investigation in which a reporter obtained a job as a civilian detention worker and secretly recorded officers allegedly making offensive remarks at the station and while socialising outside work.
The probe also includes allegations of excessive force against prisoners. The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) carried out searches of lockers, seizing computers and phones, and effectively sealed off a floor of the station. Nine serving officers were suspended, two removed from frontline duties, and leadership changes were announced in the custody team and Westminster command.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist described the reported behaviour as “disgraceful” and said the force was taking “exceptional reset” measures to uphold standards. He added that more widely, the Met would scrutinise leadership and culture within the teams to identify any further failings, noting that reports of misconduct had tripled in the past three years.
The IOPC is leading the investigation, which covers 11 current and former officers and one staff member. Alleged incidents occurred both on and off duty between August 2024 and January 2025 and include discriminatory comments, misogynistic behaviour, excessive use of force, and failure to report or challenge inappropriate conduct. Investigators also plan to review recordings obtained by the BBC reporter and other evidence.
The suspensions and investigation come after a previous misconduct scandal at the same station in 2018, when 14 officers were investigated over offensive messages, resulting in dismissals, resignations, and upheld misconduct allegations. The IOPC issued 15 recommendations following that probe to prevent recurrence.
IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said the current investigation would be “robust and independent,” adding that the public could expect full scrutiny given the force’s history of misconduct. The Met encouraged anyone with information on corruption or improper behaviour to contact the Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Line.
The latest scandal emerges as the Metropolitan Police continue efforts to remove “rotten apples” from the force following a 2023 report by Baroness Casey into institutional culture after the murder of Sarah Everard by officer Wayne Couzens. Baroness Casey concluded the Met exhibited institutional racism, homophobia, and misogyny, a claim denied by Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also been informed of developments.
The force said rapid steps had been taken to secure evidence, protect the public, and reset standards, emphasising that “good officers” stepping forward and reporting concerns had helped triple the rate of officers exited from the force over the last three years.
